In the hospital, after Su Yi and Dr. Christine Palmer had left, the lingering, warm resonance of the Horse Talisman's energy in the VIP room gradually dissipated.
Jessica Campbell, still in the grip of the energy integration, lost the fragile thread of consciousness she had briefly held and fell into a deep, healing sleep. This was no longer the fitful, pained coma of a victim, but the restorative slumber of a patient finally, miraculously, in remission.
It wasn't until the morning round that Doctor Casey, a kind-faced attending physician, came to check on her. As the doctor adjusted the intravenous drip, the slight movement startled Jessica completely awake.
Jessica blinked, her senses immediately crystal-clear. She was bewildered, not by the fact that she was awake, but by the profound sense of physical clarity and control. It was like emerging from a long, confusing, and terrifying dream. The dream was over, and it was time to wake up.
Jessica's initial emotional response was a rush of agitated hope. Her first thought was of her family. She opened her mouth to speak, the muscles in her jaw and throat feeling slightly unaccustomed but obedient.
Doctor Casey was utterly astonished. Jessica had been in a coma for several months; clinically, the possibility of her waking up naturally was negligible. Such a recovery defied all medical precedent.
"Jessica, God bless you," Doctor Casey stammered, recovering his composure. "You actually woke up! It's a true miracle. You seem a bit agitated, please calm down first, and I'll examine you."
Jessica forced herself to calm down. The Horse Talisman's perfect healing had dramatically accelerated her recovery, allowing her to rapidly regain her ability to speak and move. Without Su Yi's intervention, the rehabilitation process alone would have taken weeks.
She communicated with the doctor, the words strained but legible. "My, parents, brother."
Doctor Casey understood what Jessica meant, but she had just woken up. He dared not let her be too stimulated by the tragic news. "You need to rest now, Jessica. You'll know about these things after you recover your strength."
Hearing the doctor's evasive answer, Jessica immediately processed the unfortunate outcome. Her enhanced mental clarity, a direct side effect of the Talisman's integration process, allowed her to grasp the bleak truth instantly: she had survived, but she was the only survivor.
Jessica felt the immediate, crushing weight of self-blame. It was because of her and her brother's petty argument that her father was distracted, leading to the car accident that took everything. She fell into deep, controlled despair, unable to accept the reality that she was the one spared.
Doctor Casey, seeing the rapid descent from hope to utter despondency in her eyes, could only try to gently persuade her. "Jessica, your being able to wake up must be your parents' blessing. You should pull yourself together, get well, and live a good life for them."
Jessica no longer had her initial excitement. She was simply disheartened. She didn't understand why fate had chosen her to live. She also didn't understand why that mysterious person, Su, had saved her. Perhaps a long, quiet sleep would have been a simpler release.
After the initial examination, Doctor Casey was incredibly excited. From the instrument data and preliminary physical checks, Jessica's body was relatively healthy—impossibly healthy. In fact, she didn't seem like a "vegetable" who had been in a coma for several months at all; her body looked like it had been perfectly reset and tuned.
"Your condition is excellent, Jessica. Next, we still need further diagnostic examinations to understand this incredible recovery."
While Jessica was undergoing tests, Doctor Casey bumped into Christine Palmer in the hallway. He curiously inquired about Jessica's case, completely baffled.
"Christine, I just saw Jessica's medical record. How did her condition suddenly improve overnight? The raw data you logged yesterday suggests a near-miraculous jump in cellular stability."
Christine was also surprised by the speed of the recovery. "I'm not sure either, Casey. I just noticed her data was much better when I checked. Did something major happen to Jessica this morning?"
"She woke up this morning, fully lucid and communicating."
Christine's eyes widened. "Woke up? That's truly wonderful news!"
Doctor Casey, happy but professionally concerned, continued. "You're right, it must be a medical miracle. However, Jessica's mental state isn't very good, as she's the only one left in her family. We'll treat her physical body first. If she really has deep psychological issues, we'll help find a trauma psychologist."
"Indeed," Christine agreed, worried about the young girl.
After a series of tests, Doctor Casey was forced to conclude that Jessica's physical condition was not just good, but excellent. Given her stability, she could technically be discharged after about a week of observation. Her physical body was cured, but her immense psychological trauma and deep self-blame were severe.
Jessica, after a day of adaptation, was already able to communicate normally. Not only that, but she felt a surging, palpable sensation of strength radiating from her core. She was already able to move with complete freedom.
Late that evening, alone in her room, Jessica decided to test this foreign, overwhelming power. She looked at the heavy, bolted-down hospital bed. With just one hand, she reached beneath the frame. Applying minimal conscious force—barely more than a slight push—she lifted the entire hospital bed, mattress, blankets, and all, cleanly off the ground.
Thud. She let it fall back down quietly.
With a little more effort, she knew she could have flipped the heavy structure over directly, treating it like a feather.
Jessica was surprised by the change, but the surprise quickly gave way to analytical acceptance, not panic. Her enhanced mental defenses ensured her mind remained clear and focused.
"My body has fundamentally changed," she concluded, staring at her trembling hand. "Was it caused by that radioactive accident, or did the person who treated me—Su—give me this strength?"
She needed to know the answer. The doctor's explanation of a 'miracle' was a lie. Her power felt engineered, integrated, and given. The man who saved her was the key to her identity, and Jessica, driven by her fortified intellect, sought out her first target: Christine.
In the corridor the next afternoon, Jessica was walking slowly, deliberately, pulling her IV stand, feigning the fragility of a newly awakened patient. She waited for Christine to pass by.
Finally, Christine arrived, busy and checking her phone. Jessica stopped her.
"Doctor Christine."
"Jessica! Why are you in the corridor by yourself? You just woke up; you should rest more," Christine said with concern, putting her phone away.
Jessica didn't take her concern to heart. "I heard that you checked my condition last night. I want to know if anything strange happened?"
Christine thought of Su Yi. Su Yi had been strange, standing idly by the monitor, but he hadn't done anything that violated procedure. "Probably not, Jessica. Your recovery is just a medical anomaly."
Jessica persisted, her focus laser-sharp. "I heard Doctor Christine's voice last night. And besides that, there was a man's voice. You called him Su."
She stepped closer, her tone intense but measured. "Can I see him?"
Christine did not refuse. "You can. He's a friend of mine, an investor in the research wing. However, he probably has nothing to do with you waking up. He was just passing by."
Jessica shook her head, dismissing the coincidence theory. "It's just that before I woke up, I had a very strange feeling—like someone fixed me from the inside out. Then, when I regained consciousness, I heard your conversation with him. I'm not sure if it's related to him, but I just want to understand who was in the room during that critical time."
Christine, seeing the girl's logical, non-hysterical determination, felt a sense of loyalty to Su Yi, who had always been discreet. But Jessica was also a patient in crisis.
"I'll contact him right away, Jessica."
Christine immediately contacted Su Yi and told him about Jessica's unusual request.
Su Yi truly hadn't expected Jessica to wake up so quickly—and certainly not so soon as to be investigating her savior. He had originally thought he would have a few more weeks.
"Jessica wants to see me? Alright, Christine, I'll be there right away."
Su Yi was free anyway. This was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. He would talk with Jessica, gauge the integration of her new powers, and incidentally, enjoy the chance to spend time with Christine.
Su Yi drove to the hospital and found Christine in the staff lounge. She was still busy; it wasn't time for her to get off work yet.
"I'm here," Su Yi announced, giving Christine a quick, reassuring hug.
"Jessica is waiting for you in the ward," Christine replied, lowering her voice.
Su Yi curiously asked, "Why does she want to see me, specifically? Did I look like a comforting figure?"
"When she regained consciousness, we happened to be there, so perhaps she's just curious about who was around her when she woke up," Christine offered, then shifted to her real agenda. "The key is, Su Yi, I hope you can help counsel her."
Su Yi was a bit puzzled. "Counsel?"
Christine patiently explained, her surgeon's hands gesturing delicately. "She lost her entire family in the car accident; she's the only survivor. She just woke up, and the grief is devastating. Her self-blame is acute. You've also had to deal with the trauma of loss, Su Yi, you understand what it is to be left alone. I want you to use this opportunity to persuade her to hold onto life. To find a new purpose."
Su Yi then realized that Christine had agreed to the meeting with this deeper, therapeutic idea in mind. He immediately accepted the burden of responsibility.
"I understand. I'll do my best to offer her a perspective on moving forward."